


Legacy

by mrpicard



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: The Next Generation (Movies)
Genre: Feels, Gay, Husbands, Love, M/M, Old Married Couple, Regrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 03:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrpicard/pseuds/mrpicard
Summary: Picard returns home after a lifelong career.





	Legacy

**Author's Note:**

> This is the last ficlet of the "I wrote this scene at some point but didn't use it in the actual arc" bunch I had. It's set shortly after the third part of my [In These Arms epilogue](http://archiveofourown.org/series/673964). The little silver starship is a reference to my [Starship Captain arc](http://archiveofourown.org/series/102017) that serves as a kind of prequel for my main [In These Arms series](http://archiveofourown.org/series/79135).

_**LaBarre, France** _

_**Earth** _

 

 

 

Picard looked at the house in front of which Alex and he were standing, their suitcases piled up all around them. "I never thought I'd actually take over the vineyard one day."

Alex put his bag down. "Are you having second thoughts about moving here on a permanent basis?"

"No, not really. At this point in my life the call of home is so strong that I can no longer ignore it." Picard put his bag down as well. "But... this was supposed to be Robert's legacy, not mine."

"Even he would have had to hand the vineyard over to someone else at some point," Alex said. "And from what you've told me, I don't think René would have agreed to run it."

"No, but if things had gone as they should have, Robert would be coming out of that door now and throw a few insults at me." Picard sighed deeply. "Even _those_ would be welcome now instead of this deafening silence."

Alex slowly put his hand on his husband's shoulder. "Please, Jean-Luc, don't start this again. You've taken a valid route in your life as well - you became the finest captain in the history of Starfleet and, after that, you managed to become one of the best ambassadors the Federation's ever had. But that's not even all: You're also a terrific husband and a wonderful father. Don't you think all that counts for something, too?"

"Of course, but I can practically hear my father saying that I should have been here all along or at least have taken over the vineyard after Robert's death and not now, decades later."

"Maybe I can help chasing that voice away." Alex bent down, reached inside his bag and pulled out a small item. "I knew you'd be having these dark thoughts today, so I took this out of your bag the day before yesterday and sent it over to Geordi to brush it up a little and make it as shiny as it used to be. I hope it'll keep reminding you of the fact that following your Starfleet dreams was the right thing to do, despite what your father had to say about it."

Picard stared at the item in Alex' hand - it was the small silver starship model that had accompanied him throughout his life. "Alexander... I..."

"Sssh." Alex gently handed him the starship. "You don't have to say anything."

"But I want to." Picard looked up and into his husband's eyes. "I love you."

Alex smiled and put his hand on Picard's bearded cheek. "I love you, too."


End file.
